KARACHI: Senior anchorperson of Geo Television Hamid Mir was critically wounded in an armed attack here on Saturday when unidentified assailants attacked him as he left Karachi airport, police said.

"Hamid Mir was sitting on the back seat of the car on his way from the airport to the city. When his car reached beneath the newly-constructed airport flyover to turn towards Sharea Faisal, a single assailant fired nine shots at him with a 9mm pistol. Hamid suffered three bullets in the abdomen and thighs," SSP East Pir Muhammad Shah told.

He said that, according to eyewitnesses, a single assailant wearing Shalwar-Kameez was waiting for Hamid Mir's car near the flyover on Sharea Faisal and when his car approached him and slowed down on a turning, the attacker fired nine shots directly at Hamid Mir and fled.

Police said Hamid Mir arrived at Karachi airport from Islamabad and was going to Geo TV's headquarters when he was attacked at around 5:15pm.

Following the attack, the driver of the car, AWC-294, kept his nerve and sped the vehicle from the spot, and took him to the hospital.

He was immediately shifted to the operation theatre where doctors strived for around two-and-a-half hours to save his life.

A doctor at the AKUH told that Hamid Mir's intestines were badly damaged due to a bullet that hit him in the lower part of the abdomen and surgeons operated upon him to stop bleeding as that was the most serious injury suffered by him. After surgery, Hamid Mir is stable and will be kept under observation, said the spokesman.

He was recovering despite the critical and life-threatening wounds, Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain who was present at the AKUH said while quoting the doctors who treated the anchor as saying.

Karachi Additional IGP Shahid Hayat who immediately rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital after the incident, told newsmen that the Karachi police was not informed about the arrival of the senior journalist and hence no security arrangements were made for him.

"Hamid Mir has been shot thrice and he is being operated upon by the doctors. We will do our best to nab those behind this cowardly act," he added.

Immediately after the attack on Hamid Mir, various police teams, led-by SSP East Pir Muhammad Shah and CID SP Raja Umer Khattab, started investigation into the attack.

CID SP Raja Umer Khattab said the driver of the car and the guard of the private security company, who were accompanying the senior journalist, were being questioned and with their help, sketches of the assailants were being prepared.

He said after the firing on Hamid Mir, the assailant fled the scene. The driver initially thought that attackers chased them while he was running away from the spot and taking the injured journalist to hospital.

"We have found nine casings of the 9mm pistol used in the attack and we have sent them to forensic lab for analysis," SP Umer Khattab said, adding that eyewitnesses other than the driver and the private guard of the car were being traced to ascertain more facts about the attackers.

End.

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